CATCH Professional Development Model

“A goal without a plan is just a wish”.

The goal of any professional development is improving performance to achieve objectives.

Our Professional Development Model (CATCH) is the plan for that.

Training is just one layer of our Professional Development Model, it is the step where new knowledge is being given to employees to develop their skills and enhance their performance to fulfill their roles and duties, therefore achieve goals.

But, how can we use this step for its best outcome?

how can we guarantee that new knowledge is really acquired and transferred into skills?

This can be achieved through a complete process, a Five Stages process built step by step as follows:

This is to understand the context in which employees are expected to perform their role, and the objectives for which the organization is aiming.

In the context stage, consultants must understand the vision, mission and objectives of the organization, understand the culture and values that the organizations wish to instill.

This stage identifies the key values and skills required to achieve the job objectives. It sets the Goals of the PDM process.

This stage is in form of meetings with the management and participants supervisors in coordination with the Professional Development coordinators of the organization, it is important for employees, management and supervisors to point out the main areas of weaknesses and rooms of improvement they see in their team or maybe the new objetives thay are planning to achieve.

The outcome of this stage will be embedded in the courses materials which will be customized accordingly, along with organization’s culture and values.

Having understood the management objectives and goals of the training, this stage focuses on employees abilities and expectations, making sure that they understand organizations vision and objectives, and willing to fulfill organization’s culture.

Once this is done through face to face (in person or online) meetings, employees will be given the chances to assess their skills and abilities, facilitated by a consultant in groups using motivational methodologies to psychologically prepare the participants and develop their learning states, and identify their learning needs, in light with the outcome of the Context stage.

This stage is in form of group meetings with the participants, one to one meetings is also possible upon the convenience of employees, where people will be given the chance in a positive and motivational environment to express their fears and weaknesses to be developed.

The outcome of this stage will help consultants to develop and customize courses contents to answer as much as possible of the generated employees concerns. It is possible for the professional development coordinator to participate in these sessions, given that employees weaknesses expressions will remain anonymous, to maintain comfortable environment for attendants.

The two previous stages, provide deep understanding of the development requirement and needs, and current attendants skills level, therefore identifying the gap that needs to be covered accurately.

Consultants will use the outcome of the previous two stages to include in the courses of training, appropriate materials and relevant examples and solutions that directly address employees concerns and fulfill management desirable improvement expectations.

Training will be in forms of workshops, learning games, interactive teaching discussions and other active methods to guarantee full participation from attendants. It also may be conducted online if in-person is difficult for any reason.

Where applicable, training may include quizes and exams, participants will walkout fully satisfied with rich materials and reference papers that guide them and help them to absorb new knowledge and how to use that to develop their skills and put it in practice in their environment.

As part of organization professional development work, participants will be given certificate of attendance, customized with organizations name and logo.

With Training, the preparation for better and improved performance has been completed, but yet, the true development is not yet guaranteed, where the most critical step is yet to come: Improving Performance.

Coaching through follow up sessions will take place in various area, especially those identified during first two stages: Context and Assessment, as well as some other rooms of improvement may have been extracted through  Training.

Consultants will provide on site assistance and reviews with participants, to guarantee full understanding and proper implementation of what have been learned. In coordination with organization Professional Development and Human resources functions, consultants may help and develop assessment forms to measure the gains from Training.

With the Professional Development Process completed, and the teams are on their own in the field practicing and using newly developed skills, they may need from time to time to consult for either more information or some way for tailoring their skills in certain situations. We will receive their emails and answer their questions and inquiries on ‘Best-We-Can” basis. The nature of these inquiries should be limited to the development subject and must only include the general and good to know level of inquiries and no urgent or specific case related discussion should be raised.

Help will continue to be provided as long as we agree with the customer during the initial discussion of any professional development project.